While most football pundits are expressing doubts over Super Eagles ability to come out of the AFCON 2021 Group D fixtures that pit Nigeria against seven-time champions Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau, former African Footballer of the Year, Emmanuel Amuneke has insisted there is nothing to worry about.
The former FC Barcelona winger said Super Eagles need such tough pairing to challenge them to reach the summit of the tournament in Cameroon next January.
In an interview with THISDAY from his base in Spain yesterday, Amuneke, who scored the winning goal against Zambia as Nigeria triumphed in the tournament for the second time at Tunisia ’94, said that Super Eagles are in a better group when compared with other groups like host Cameroon who have Stallions of Burkina Faso, Black Stars of Ghana and Atlas Lions of Morocco to contend with in Group C.
Algeria are also in tight group stage fixtures against Cote d’ Ivoire and other dark horses like Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea in Group E.
“Both Nigeria and Egypt are formidable teams on the continent with not too much historical rivalry of sort. They both know that they are good and will play each other with respect devoid of hatred or bitterness.
“The global community will definitely look forward to a good match from the two sides who are loaded with top football stars playing in Europe.
“But when you look at the match between cup holders, Algeria against Cote d’ Ivoire, the memories of the last edition is still fresh and there is tendency for revenge or repeat at stake. Either of these two sides may be forced to struggle to knock out qualification from that group phase.”
He also analysed the group having host Cameroon and insisted anything can happen there.
“Same thing applies to host Cameroon when they face fellow Francophone nation Burkina Faso in the opening match of the tournament. The French-speaking sides on the continent have this unending rivalry and a good performance from the 2013 finalist on Match-day one will add pressure on the Indomitable Lions if they falter in that opening game,” Amuneke added.
The Atlanta ’96 gold medal winner in football also explained that both Morocco and Ghana in Group C have rich history of previous encounters in the tournament and the football world should look up to best performance when both sides meet at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé.
On whether the Pharaohs’ Mohamed Salah will be a major threat to Super Eagles in the opening group match in Garoua, Amuneke stressed that it all depends on the technical crew and the players ability to rise to the occasion.
“Salah is not an island in the team but one can admit that he is a motivator. We have high profile players in our team as well. The Egyptian will be feeling same way too, hence no cause for alarm. I see the two teams coming out of the group but they have to keep their head up against Sudan and Guinea Bissau,” concludes Amuneke who led Tanzania’s Taifa Stars to qualify for the last AFCON in Egypt in 2019.
